


Guard Your Nightmares

by worldturnedupsidedown



Series: Woobie Bingo [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8188915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worldturnedupsidedown/pseuds/worldturnedupsidedown
Summary: Iruka wakes from a nightmare to find something a little more pleasant waiting for him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Done for the Bear-traps, Nightmares, Gentle squares on the Woobie Bingo on the Imzy comm. 
> 
> As I said on the comm, this was meant to be woobie!Iruka but Kakashi just came in and took over.

It took a moment for Iruka to realise where he was when he woke up, jolted awake out of a nightmare of darkness and pain and being so alone that it didn't matter whether he screamed or not. The hospital room was bare and dark, the bed and nightstand barely taking up any room compared to the medical equipment.

He wasn't alone, the sound of another's breathing immediately informing him of the fact, though his eyes could not pierce the darkness.

Iruka stiffened, aware of how vulnerable he was here on the bed with his leg in a cage-like contraction designed to help him to keep it still while it healed. If he moved to defend himself, he would probably lose his leg and that was if he survived the attack in the first place.

"Iruka, it's me." The voice was familiar, although the soft, gentle tone wasn't. A dark shadow shifted in the corner of Iruka's room and started to move towards the bed.

"Kakashi?" Iruka asked. His body relaxed despite himself. Their relationship was odd, Iruka knew that even without his friends telling him, but he knew Kakashi would not hurt him in this hospital bed. "This is a little late for visiting times." He tried to smile but it was hard when he remembered exactly why he was in hospital in the first place.

"I came back from my mission, only to find out that my favourite Chuunin had got his leg caught in a bear trap." Kakashi's tone was light and Iruka blushed and ducked his head at the implied reprimand he heard in his voice.

"It was stupid. I should have been more careful." Iruka shook his head, feeling the familiar sense of anger and self-loathing rise up. He was good at people, he knew this and played to his strengths normally, but then there came missions where the default was alone and in the dead of night.

"It is quite a feat where you avoid one trap set by ninjas, only to fall into another one set by civilians." There was no hint of what Kakashi was feeling in his voice but Iruka flinched at the words anyway.

"So why did you come?" Iruka really wasn't used to this. Most of his relationship with Kakashi was antagonistic, arguing about everything under the sun, with a small part being drinking tea together in Iruka's apartment in a comfortable silence.

Kakashi was silent for a moment before he stepped closer to the bed. His hand hovered over the strange shape Iruka's leg cage was making in the blanket, but instead patted his good leg gently. "I couldn't sleep. I have seen these bear traps before."

One of the most frustrating things about Kakashi is that he expected everyone to read 'underneath the underneath' and so he didn't feel the need to explain himself fully. A few words here and there and Iruka was expected to fill in the gaps and understand what Kakashi was trying to say. He spent a few minutes feeling annoyed at this, his leg ached and he still felt half asleep, but then got to work trying to figure it out. Bear traps were outlawed in Konoha and the Land of Fire (with good reason) and so Kakashi would probably have had only see bear traps up in the mountains. Did he have a bad experience with them?

No, but he might have seen exactly what effect the bear traps had on a person unwise enough to step on one, Iruka realised. He knew that he had been lucky not to lose his leg and the only reason it was saved was thanks to his team getting him back to Tsunade as fast as they could and even then, he would still have to undergo at least two months of physical therapy and regular healing sessions.

"Kakashi," Iruka said, with the tone of someone coming to an epiphany. Kakashi's whole body straightened up as if bracing himself. "Were you worried about me?"

Kakashi sighed, but it wasn't the long-suffering one of someone having to pacify a stupider person, and Iruka knew he had stumbled on the right answer. "Go to sleep, Iruka. I'll guard your nightmares."

Iruka smiled and did just that as Kakashi settled down on the windowsill. His leg hurt but it was a dull sort of ache and it was easy to slip off back to sleep with the silhouette of Kakashi in the moonlight.


End file.
